Container with sipper straw



Sept. 10, 1957 w. A. PUGH CONTAINER WITH SIPPER STRAW Filed July 26, 1955 Fig. 2

AL 'j 44} Fig.

William A. Pug/7 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent CONTAINER WITH SIPPER STRAW William A. Pugh, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 26, 1955, Serial No. 524,461

Claims. (Cl. 229-7) My invention relates to improvements in dispensing beverage containers of the carton type equipped with a sipper straw, or tube, and is designed as an improvement over the beverage container of my copending application Serial No. 450,833, filed August 19, 1954.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means for mounting in the top of the conventional sealed, beverage container, of commerce, a telescopic sipper straw so that it is normally sealed against leakage or contamination whereby to meet all sanitation requirements, especially those pertaining to dairy products, and to provide for readily breaking the seal for extension of the straw out of the carton for use.

Another object is to provide means for the above purpose which isinexpensive to manufacture and embody in such cartons and therefore will not materially increase the cost of equipping such cartons with sipper straws.

Other objects,- together with the precise nature of my improvements, and the advantages thereof will become readily apparent when the following description and claims are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carton embodying my invention in the preferred form thereof and partly broken away;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view in horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton embodying my invention and with the sipper straw extended out of the carton for use, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the compression flap.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my invention has been shown therein, by way of exemplification, as embodied in the conventional round beverage containing carton 1 of cardboard, fiber board, or the like, having the usual countersunk flat top 3 having an upstanding circumferential, rectangular, top channel flange 5 straddling the rim 7 of. carton 1 and secured thereto in the usual manner with a sealing fit.

According to my invention, the top 3 is provided at one side of the carton 1 with a circular opening 9, and a die cut plug 11 of cardboard, fiber board, or the like is provided for closing and sealing the opening 9.

The plug 11 is dished to fit in the opening 9 with a sealing press fit, provided with a countersink 12 having a flat bottom 13, and is annular to provide an axial circular opening 15 therein for the sipper straw 17 and provided with a circumferential external flat rim flange 19 adapted to seat flatly on the top 3 and which is preferably secured to said top by a suitable cement, or the like, not shown.

The sipper straw 17 is of the conventional type comprising inner and outer straw sections 21, 23 telescoping for extension of the inner straw section 21 upwardly out of the outer straw section 23 through the opening 15 to Patented Sept. 10, 1957 ice extend the straw out of the carton for sipping purposes. A rolled collar 25 on the upper end of the inner straw section 21 is normally disposed within the countersink 12 when the inner straw section 21 is retracted and prevents said section 21 from dropping through the opening 15 into the carton 1. A similar collar 27 on the upper end of the outer straw section 23 prevents said section 23 from being pulled upwardly out of said opening 15. The straw sections 21, 23 taper upwardly to fit tightly together when the inner straw section 21 is extended and the inner straw section 21 when extended wedges into and seals the straw 17 between said sections against the escape of air between said sections.

A combined pull and closure tab 29 of bendable or foldable material, for the inner straw section 21 is provided thereon and which comprises a substantially annular inner end 31 fitting on the straw section 21 immediately below the collar 25 and an outer substantially circular closure end 33 of substantially the same outside diameter as the outside diameter of the collar 25, said tab further comprising a narrow bendable portion 32 between the ends 31, 33 foldable over the edge of the collar 25 to seat the outer end 33 on said collar 25. The inner end 31 of the tab 29 fits around the inner straw section 21 with a slight clearance for sliding of said tab away from the outer. end of the inner section 21 so that it will not interfere with placing of said outer end in the mouth of a person using the sipper straw 17.

When the inner straw section 21 is retracted, the inner end 31 of the tab 29 seats on the bottom 13 of the countersink 12 and around the opening 15 and the collar 25 seats on said inner end 31 whereby to close said opening 15 around the inner straw section 21, while the outer end 33 of the tab 29 is seated on the collar 25 and closes the outer end of the inner straw section 21.

A compression flap 35 is provided on the carton 1 for pressing the outer end 33 and seating the same against the collar 25 and thereby compressing the collar 25 against the inner end 31 of the tab 29 also said inner end 31 against the bottom 13 of the countersink 12 all to seal the outer end of the inner straw section 21 and the opening 15 around the inner straw section 21.

The compression flap 35 is formed of cardboard, fiber board, or the like, extends diametrically of the top 3 and is provided with a tongue 37 at one end glued, as at 38, on the top at one side of opening 9 for swinging of the flap upwardly and downwardly into compressing and releasing positions, and is formed with a substantially circular central portion 38 of the same diameter as the flange 19 of the plug 11 to fit and seat on said flange when in compressing position. The compression flap 35 is formed with a substantially annular, bottom, concentric rib 39 pressed out of the same and fitting with a press friction fit in the countersink 12 of the plug 11 when said flap is in compressing position and providing an axial cap portion 41 fitting with a press fit over the outer end 33 and the portion 32 of the tab 29 when said portion 32 is folded and the outer end 33 seated on the collar 25, whereby to press said outer end 33 against the collar 25 and the collar 25 against the inner end 31. The cap portion 41 is provided with an outwardly offset radial pocket portion 43 to accommodate the fold of the portion 29 when the latter is folded over the collar. The other end of the compression flap 35 forms a tongue 42 which when said flap is swung into compressing position engages the inner side of the flange 5 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and is thereby folded upwardly against said side to provide an upstanding finger grip tab 44 on the tongue 42 frictionally engaging said inner side of the flange 5 to frictionally lock said tongue 42 down.

If desired the countersink in the top 3 may be closed by a suitable removal cap 46 fitted over the flange 5 with a slip fit for removal, and covering the compression flap 35 to prevent dust, dirt and the like from collecting on V the top 3 and on said flap 35.

When it is desired to use the sipper straw 17, the cap 46 is removed .the flap .35 is swung upwardly on the tongue 37 by ,graspingand ,pulling upwardlyon the finger grip tab 3 This ,opens the countersink and exposes .the pull tab 29 for rasping .to pull out the inner straw section 21 .to extend the same and the sipper straw .17. Whenever it is desired to do so, the inner section of the sipper straw 21 may be retracted into the outer straw section 23 .and its outer end, together with the opening 15 closed and sealed .by swinging the flap downwardly and pressing the rib 39 into the countersink 12 of the plug ,11. the ,countersinkllorplug 11 .with .a sufiiciently tight fit to hold said flap down during shipmontuof ,the carton, or dispensing of the same in a vending machine, or other handling of the carton.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous 'modifications and changes will readily occur .to those of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed-as new is as follows: 1. In a beverage carton having a flat top provided with a circular opening and a circumferential upstanding flange, a plug dished to provide a circular countersink fitted with a press fit in said opening and having a circumferential edge flange around the countersink seating on said top, said countersink having an axial opening, a sipper straw slidable in said axial opening to extend and retract the same relative to said carton and having an It is .to be understood that the flap 35 .fitsinto outer end provided with a collar retracted into said countersink when said straw is retracted, a pull tab slidable on said straw into engagement withsaid collar and foldable over said collar to close the outer end of the straw, and a flap hinged to said top Within the confines of said flange and swingable downwardly onto said plug and folded tab and pressing said tab against said collar into sealing engagement with the outer end of the straw, said flap fitting with a press fit in said countersink to frictionally lock said :fiap :to said plug and cover said pull tab, collar and axial opening. 7

2. The combination of claim 1, said tab having an annular end fitting :around .said straw beneath said collar and over said axial opening and compressed between said collar and the bottom :of said countersink to seal said axial opening when said flap is pressed against the folded tab.

3. The combination ofclaim 1, said flap having an annular bottom ,rib pressed out of the same lfrictionally fitting in the countersink in surrounding engaging relation to the folded tab. 7

4. The combination of .claim 3, vsaid rib forming a cap in said flap .fittingcver the folded tab and said collar.

5. The combination of claim 4, said cap having a radial offset pocket portion accommodating therein .the foldof said .tab. I 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sebe ll Dec, 3, 1935 

